Summary
The Glen Arbor Township Planning Commission met on February 6, 2025, with Chairman Lance Roman presiding. Bob Hawley, Bill Thompson, Bob Ihme, Andy Dotterweich, and Roman were present; David Burton and Bob Berlacher were absent. The Commission approved the January minutes, reviewed proposed Zoning Ordinance (ZO) v5.1 items, and scheduled a public hearing for March 6, 2025.
Public Comments
No members of the public were present at the meeting, and no public comments were made.
Affordable Housing Initiatives
Zoning Administrator Tim Cypher reported that Brad Anderson applied for a land division for workforce housing on Trumble Road. No further discussion or decision on this application was recorded.
Parks and Recreation Matters
Board member Hawley, reporting on the January Township Board meeting, noted that the Township is in discussions with Leelanau School regarding rules for use of their pickleball courts. No decisions were made by the Planning Commission on this matter.
Infrastructure Projects
Hawley reported that the Township received its first quote to repave the parking lot behind the Township building. No amount or further action was specified.
Other Business
The Commission reviewed final draft ZO v5.1 items for the upcoming public hearing: Item #1 (Rules Applying to Text) was discussed and approved as drafted by Roman; Item #2 (Fences definition) was approved as drafted by Roman; Item #3 (Keyholing) was discussed and will be included in the March hearing along with Items 1 and 2. A motion by Thompson, supported by Hawley, to move the public hearing to the March 6 meeting passed unanimously. Cypher will have the hearing notice published in the February 13 Enterprise.
Cypher provided a Master Plan review update recommendation printout; the Commission discussed objectives and implementation, but no action was taken.
A punch list of ordinance items to review was discussed, including Accessory Buildings, Shipping Container Use, and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and "Frogs," which Roman suggested combining for discussion. Cypher noted the State is regulating solar and wind for commercial use.
The Zoning Board of Appeals report (Dotterweich) noted there were no appeals. Zoning Administrator Cypher reported that Matt Ames withdrew his application for the Fisher store and that three land use permits were issued.
During member comments, bets were made among Commission members regarding the Super Bowl game.
Action Items
- Cypher to publish the public hearing notice in the February 13 Enterprise ahead of the March 6 hearing on ZO v5.1 Items #1, #2, and #3.
- Continued work and discussion needed on the Master Plan review update.
- Roman to combine Accessory Buildings, Shipping Container Use, and ADU/"Frogs" items for future discussion.
- Follow-up needed on Brad Anderson's land division application for workforce housing on Trumble Road.